The Rise and Fall of the Snobs
by oneintheworld
Summary: Becky's snooty cousins move to San Francisco, and stay with the Tanners for some time. Please R&R. Complete!
1. Author's Note

Author's Note:

There are some components which are originally from the works of other people. I do not own any of them. Also, Danielle Donaldson is a new character whom I added to the family. I do not own any of the existing characters. No copyright infringement is intended. Enjoy reading! 


	2. Too Big for their Boots

I do not own any of the existing characters from Full House. All rights go to Jeff Franklin. No copyright infringement is intended.

This is set around early Series 5. Becky's cousin and his family is introduced slightly earlier than in the series.

5-year-old Michelle Tanner said goodbye to her older sister Stephanie as she dropped her off at her kindergarten classroom. She was looking forward for what was going to happen. As she made herself comfortable between her two friends, Denise Frazer and Teddy, their teacher, Ms Wiltrout, came in with two young girls who looked as though they were twins.  
"Good morning, class," said Ms Wiltrout. "Today, we have two new students: Debbie and Darla Donaldson. They come from Nebraska. Debbie, Darla, would you like to say hi to the class?"  
"This school is nothing like what we went to," said one twin to the other.  
"I agree," said the other twin to the one.  
Denise turned to Michelle. "I've got a bad feeling about these two," she said.  
Soon, it was lunchtime, and the milk and cookies were passed around. Michelle was sitting next to the twins as they got their share. Michelle immediately tucked in, but the twins just stared at their lunchboxes coldly and pushed them away.  
"Ew, this is gross!" exclaimed one twin. "We only drink Borden's milk!"  
"And these cookies look like they're home-made," complained the other. "Come on, you guys," coaxed Michelle. "These are really nice, you'll enjoy them."  
"What's to enjoy about products like these?" said one twin.  
"Everything," said Michelle, as the twins rolled their eyes. "Which one of you is which?"  
"I'm Debbie," said one twin. "And she's Darla. You can tell it by the freckle under my eye," she finished patronisingly.  
"Okay, Debbie," said Michelle, now wanting to make conversation. "What was Nebraska like?"  
"This is nothing compared to Nebraska," said Debbie, as Darla nodded her head in agreement.  
"You got a bad attitude," said Michelle, as she finished the last of her snack. Just then, as if it was timed, the bell signalling the end of lunchtime went off.

Stephanie joined Michelle on the bus ride home, listening to what had happened with Debbie and Darla.  
"Well, Michelle, some people are like that," Stephanie, 9, advised her younger sister. "But you gotta ignore them. See, the problem is that they don't know how to keep their feet on the ground and interact with other people. I mean, it's okay not to like some things, but when that happens, you gotta keep it to yourself."  
"Well, they certainly didn't like the milk and cookies we got, and boy, did they let it show. And they didn't want to come on the bus. They say it's too stinky."  
"I don't know about the bus," mused Stephanie. "But the milk and cookies - now that's a problem."  
Soon, the bus reached Stephanie and Michelle's house. They thanked the driver and got off, walking inside. The house was unusually empty these past few days: their father Danny, a TV show host, was busy in Canada with a new programme, and their elder sister D.J., who was 14, was involved in an exchange student programme in Germany. Uncle Jesse Katsopolis, their deceased mother's brother, and Joey Gladstone, their father's best friend, had come to live with them since then, but even they were busy with their new radio show. The only person around was Jesse's wife Becky, whom he had married only recently, and who had since given birth to twin sons, Nicky and Alex. She was in the kitchen, fiddling with the toaster, when the girls came in.  
"Hey Steph, hey Michelle," she said. "How was school?"  
"It was okay," said Michelle, "except for these two new girls who came from Nebraska. They didn't want to have the milk and cookies because they said they weren't good enough."  
"Well, that's not very nice," said Becky. "What were their names?"  
But then, before they could answer, the door burst open and a man and a woman, he short and curly-haired, she leggy and blonde, came in. With them were - "That's them," said Michelle. "Debbie and Darla Donaldson."  
Becky went over to recieve them. "Cousin Dick and Donna, what a welcome surprise! And Debbie, Darla, and Danielle, look at you, how you've grown!"  
"Are they the new girls?" Stephanie asked Michelle.  
"Yes they were. But I didn't know they were related to Aunt Becky!"  
"Well guess what? That other girl, Danielle, came to my class this morning. I couldn't tell you about her, though." Soon, the couple left their children in the house and left to go somewhere. Becky turned to her nieces.  
"Girls, these are Debbie, Darla and Danielle Donaldson, and they are my cousin's daughters. They've just moved here from Nebraska, and they'll be spending the night here because their parents have a charity event."  
"They're attending our school!" piped up Stephanie.  
"Are you now?" said Becky to the three other girls. "Well, I'm sure you'll make very good friends with Stephanie and Michelle. They're my nieces."  
"Yes, we will, Aunt," said Danielle, in an unconvincingly sweet tone.  
Michelle and Stephanie sensed trouble.

Soon it was nine o'clock - bedtime for the children. Debbie and Darla were playing video games on their Nintendos.  
"Can I have a go?" said Michelle innocently.  
"When you buy one," drawled Darla.  
"Isn't it bedtime for you?" taunted Debbie.  
"Isn't it bedtime for you?" hit back Michelle.  
Meanwhile, Danielle was giving Stephanie trouble. "Do you still sleep with a soft toy?" she teased.  
"Yes I do," said Stephanie unabashedly. "Mr Bear, I've had him since I was five."  
"Oooh, you still haven't grown out of the baby zone, have you?" said Danielle. "Not completely. I see you haven't," rejoined Stephanie, pointing at a giant, puffy, extravagantly dressed doll.  
"This is not a soft toy," said Danielle. "It's a very sophisticated security blanket. And I get the bed," she added, jumping into the middle of Stephanie's old metal framed bed. Immediately she started to complain that it wasn't comfortable enough.  
Stephanie decided to go into her father's vacant room, taking her trenchcoat-wearing teddy bear with her. The bed in there was too big and too soft, but hey, snooty Danielle was missing out on her chance of comfort.

More to come in Chapter 2! 


	3. Trouble in the Schoolyard

The next morning, Stephanie found herself rudely awoken at four-thirty in the morning. It was thanks to her dad's alarm clock that she got jerked up so early. She padded back to her room, to find that her bed was empty. Michelle was asleep on what was supposed to be one of the twins' sleeping bags, while Debbie, Darla and Danielle - as it had turned out - had taken over the attic, leaving Becky to kip on the sofa with Nicky and Alex. Stephanie kept herself busy studying for a history test until five, when Becky woke up. She made a cup of coffee for herself and some chocolate milk for Stephanie. Eventually, at about seven o'clock, the other kids woke up as well, and Becky got some cornflakes ready for all of them.  
"Ugh, who eats Cap'n Crunch?" moaned Darla. "This is nothing compared to Frosted Mini Wheats."  
"Sorry, Debbie," said Becky apologetically. "Maybe I could get something else ready. How about some delicious Pop Tarts? Or if you want to go for the healthy option, there's always some muesli ready in the cupboard."  
"Boring!" said Debbie, Darla and Danielle in unison. Michelle gave them a dirty look, Stephanie rolled her eyes, and Becky said, "Well, I can run out to the store and get some Frosted Mini Wheats. Steph, Michelle, could you feed Nicky and Alex for me?" Stephanie and Michelle obliged, picking up some plastic spoons and feeding their two younger cousins. As Michelle said the infamous "here comes the aeroplane" line once more, Stephanie asked, "Danni, Debbie, Darla - wanna help?"  
"No thanks," said Danielle, rolling her eyes. "I don't wanna handle babies."  
"Suit yourself," said Stephanie, before turning her attention back to the twins. Before long, Becky was back with some Frosted Mini Wheats.  
"Oh, thank you, Aunt," said Danielle, in a fake cutesy tone, way different from the one that she had used on Stephanie.  
"You're welcome, sweetie," said Becky, with a hint in her voice stating that she was not at all convinced. Soon, it was time to go to school. There was one slight problem:  
"Who would want to go on a bus?" complained Darla. "They smell so bad, and it's so packed! Why would anyone want to take any kind of public transport? Aunt Becky, you can drop us off, can't you?"  
"I can't drop all of you off, honey," said Becky apologetically. "There's no-one to keep an eye on Nicky and Alex."  
"Then we'll just stay home!" insisted Debbie. Just then, a familiar voice called out, "Hola, Tannerinos!"  
In marched Kimmy Gibbler, D.J.'s friend. Even though D.J. had gone abroad, she kept stopping by at the Tanner household. Stephanie in particular didn't like Kimmy, mainly because of her too-loud, patronising demeanour towards her and Michelle.  
"Good morning, Kimmy," said Becky. "You've come in at the right time - I need your help. My relatives' children are here, and they don't want to take the bus. Is there anything you can do?"  
"Sure!" said Kimmy. "I came with my brother Garth. He's bought a new, super-rad Volkswagen Transporter! Do you wanna join?"  
The kids had no choice, so they joined Kimmy in her brother's camper van. It smelt bad (Kimmy had stinky feet) and Debbie, Darla and Danielle, as usual, were particularly vocal in their complaints. Stephanie felt inclined to moan, too, but she decided to take some of her own advice and keep quiet. Michelle had learnt an important lesson from listening to what Stephanie had told her.

"Alright, class," said the fourth-grade teacher, Mr Lowry. "Today you'll be using the latest operating system on our computers: Windows 3.1. I recommend that you open Multi-Tool Word, because you'll be typing a description about the person sitting next to you. Once you're done, one of you will come up to the front and read it out loud."  
Unfortunately for Stephanie, she happened to be sitting next to Danielle. Stephanie's friends were all bunched with each other. In spite of this, Stephanie kept her description of Danielle as professional as possible, saying that she was a nice person who made an effort to befriend everyone. Soon, everybody was done. Mr Lowry called, "Okay, who wants to go first?"  
Danielle put her hand up.  
"Yes, Danielle, you may go ahead."  
Danielle stood up and read from her screen.  
"Stephanie Tanner is in my class. She lives in a filthy old hovel in San Francisco, with a father and a sister who aren't even there. Stephanie is a silly girl who still sleeps with a teddy bear -"  
"HOW RUDE!" interjected Stephanie, springing up with her hands on her hips. Mr Lowry didn't even bother to tell Stephanie off.  
"Danielle, that was not very nice at all," he admonished. "You might want to redo the document, or else, I'll have to tell the principal."  
But it was too late. The rest of the class was laughing their heads off at Danielle's description. Danielle rolled her eyes and went back to the document, as Mr Lowry restored order and got somebody else to deliver their description. Even as the lesson ended, everybody poked fun at Stephanie.  
"You sleep with a teddy bear? What a big baby!" taunted one classmate. Stephanie wanted to cry. But she told herself that crying was not going to do any good, and kept to herself until it was time for the break. She paced out of the class, when she heard someone call her name. It was Mr Lowry.  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
"Yeah," said Stephanie listlessly. "I'm okay."  
"Well, if you need anything, you can talk to me, or the counsellor."  
"Thanks, Mr Lowry. But I'm fine for now."  
And with that, Stephanie made her way to the playground.

"...and they took all the toys away!" lamented Michelle to Stephanie on the bus ride home. "They didn't even share."  
"Well, Michelle," said Stephanie, "you're not the only one who's been getting trouble. Danielle wrote something really horrible about me during the computer lesson. I wanted to cry, and at the same time, I didn't want to."  
"Mister Rogers says that it's okay to cry," said Michelle.  
"At least they're too snooty to take the bus," said Stephanie. "We've got this time to ourselves."  
Soon enough, they got home. Becky greeted them as usual.  
"Debbie, Darla and Danni have gone to a nearby hotel," said Becky. "We might meet them sometime soon, though."  
"Aunt Becky," said Stephanie nervously, "I gotta get it off me - I didn't like those kids too much."  
"Well, Steph," said Becky reasonably, "they still need to learn to get into the real world. I agree with you, though - even if you don't like something, it's okay, but you don't need to be too vocal. If somebody gives you a snack you don't like, you can say, 'no, thank you', but it's best to leave it at that."  
Just then, Jesse and Joey came in.  
"Hey, look alive!" cried Jesse, with his arms stretched out. "The uncles are back!"  
Stephanie and Michelle went to hug their uncle and their family friend, then they turned to meet Becky, before Jesse went to tend to his two twin sons. Soon, at dinner, Becky told Jesse and Joey about the Donaldsons.  
"Oh no," moaned Jesse. "Not those jerks."  
"Jess, they've been quite demanding, but they've gone to a hotel now. We don't need to worry too much about them at the moment, although we could meet up."  
However, the phone rang all of a sudden. Becky went to answer it, and returned a few minutes later. "It's them," she said. "We've been invited to eat dinner at a fancy restaurant on Saturday."  
"And what did you say?" said Jesse.  
"I said yes," said Becky. Jesse and the girls looked dumbfounded.  
"Heaven help us all," whispered Jesse.

More to come in Chapter 3! Please keep reading. 


	4. Fancy Restaurants and Finger-Painting

That Saturday, Jesse, Joey, Becky and the children headed out to the fancy restaurant Dick Donaldson had mentioned during his call with Becky. It was called Elites4Life, and indeed it seemed very posh. There, Dick Donaldson, his wife Donna, and the three girls were waiting for him. "Ah, Cousin Becky!" he said, waddling over to greet Becky. "And Jesse, look at you! You've gone one step up the ladder!"  
Jesse rolled his eyes. Becky gave her husband a look.  
"Please sit down," said Dick. "This is the newest restaurant in my chain - and it's Elites4Life! We won't have any random hobos coming in expecting food!" Dick laughed heartily. Just then, a young mother with a baby in her arms came by. She approached Dick.  
"Excuse me, sir, I'm sorry to be a bother, but would you have some change to spare? Only I haven't eaten in hours."  
"Oh, pardon me, ma'am," said Dick mockingly. "You've got soup kitchens for that!"  
The woman was about to leave, but Becky chipped in. "Please," she said, offering the woman a two-hundred-dollar note, "take this and buy something. Get something for the kid as well."  
"We'll help as well," said Stephanie, and she and Michelle offered all the change they had in their trouser pockets. The woman smiled.  
"Thank you," she said to them. "You're all very kind," and she headed off somewhere else, knowing that her presence here wouldn't be tolerated. Soon, food was served, and they all tucked in.  
"So, Debbie, what do you like about your new school?" Becky asked Darla.  
"I'm Darla, Aunt," said Darla snidely, "and that's the second time you've called me that!"  
"Sorry, Darla," said Becky. "What do you like about your new school?"  
"Nothing," said Darla. "It's nothing compared to Nebraska!"  
"Darla, be nice," said Donna, in a tone that clearly belied her words.  
"And what's it like in your house?" said Dick to Stephanie. "Pretty crowded, right? You can hardly breathe, with nine-plus people living in there!"  
Stephanie wanted to roll her eyes, but this was an elder she was talking to.  
"It's sometimes a bit crowded, but hey, we've got each other. We're a pain in each other's necks sometimes - I can get on my elder sister D.J.'s nerves - but that's what's family is for!" she said, adding a slight laugh for endearing effect.  
"What a perky girl! I've heard that people from rural areas like yours are happy because all they've got is family! Nothing more!" Dick laughed. His voice had a mean edge to it. Stephanie felt her smile fade, but she continued eating.  
Silence followed until they had finished their meal. Jesse was about to pay the waiter, but a pudgy hand stopped him.  
"Oh, no, Jess," said Dick Donaldson. "You don't need to pay him - they do all the work for free here! And besides, you're my cousin's better half!" He laughed heartily once more.  
Jesse fumed to himself, paid the grateful waiter anyway, and then stormed out with the rest of the family on his heels.

"What does he think they are, scum of the earth?" ranted Jesse on the tram ride home. "They're humans too, they shouldn't be treated like that!"  
"I know, Jess," said Becky. "Some people need to learn to put their feet on the ground. And the fact that it's Dick's restaurant shouldn't deter us from defending the waiters."  
"I didn't tell you what happened in school with Debbie and Darla," piped up Michelle. "Neither did Stephanie tell you about how mean Danielle was to her."  
When they got home, the sisters told their uncle and aunt - and Joey - everything that had happened. "Well, I'm sure we've told you this, girls: some people are like that," said Joey. "But there's a way to fend the bullies off - the Road Runner way."  
"What's that?" Michelle asked Joey. "If they start making fun of you, just go 'beep, beep', and run off! Problem solved."  
"Come on, Joseph, that's not gonna work!" said Jesse.  
"I think," said Becky, "the best thing to do is to ignore them. If it doesn't stop, you can always tell us, or a teacher. They'll have enough sense to get them to stop."  
Stephanie and Michelle decided to take their aunt's advice.

On Monday, Stephanie dropped Michelle off at her classroom. As they approached, Michelle asked Stephanie, "What could Debbie and Darla do next?"  
"Who knows?" said Stephanie. "But remember what Aunt Becky said. Ignore them, and if it reaches breaking point, tell on them. It's okay to tattle sometimes - I know what it's like, being an expert telltale."  
"But I thought it wasn't good to tattle on someone else!" protested Michelle.  
"Well, there are exceptions," said Stephanie. "Rule of thumb: there is a time and there is a place. I learnt that from D.J., and boy did it work."  
So Michelle went into class. She was - once again - teamed with Debbie and Darla in the next activity, finger painting.  
Michelle managed to make a print of a butterfly, which looked nice enough, but Debbie and Darla outdid themselves with their painting - it was of a rural landscape. Michelle was actually about to compliment them, when Debbie turned and said, "What's that painting of?"  
"It's a butterfly," said Michelle, matter-of-factly.  
"We can beautify it a bit more," said Darla, and she and Debbie launched themselves on Michelle's paper, ruining the painting. Michelle was furious, and decided that now was the right time to tell.  
"Ms Wiltrout!" she called. "Debbie and Darla ruined my painting!"  
Ms Wiltrout was over as quick as a flash. "Debbie, Darla - what has gotten into both of you? You know it's not alright to ruin other people's things."  
Darla pretended to cry. "But teacher!" she moaned. "Michelle taunted us! She said that we had buck teeth!"  
Michelle was shocked. "No I didn't!" she protested. Ms Wiltrout sighed and said, "I don't know what to believe. I'm afraid that I'll have to give all three of you a time-out. Now, Debbie and Darla can go and sit in that corner, and Michelle can sit on the other side."  
"But, Ms Wiltrout -" began Michelle.  
"You heard me, Michelle," said Ms Wiltrout, with a hint of finality. "Go and sit in the corner."  
Michelle trudged off and plonked herself down on the beanbag. These two were worse than Aaron Bailey, the (former) class bully. And now they had gotten Michelle into trouble! At least they were being punished too, that served as a fact of consolation. 


	5. More Trouble

Meanwhile, things had gone a bit more smoothly for Stephanie. She had escaped to the back of the class, as far as possible from Danielle, who only took front-row seats. At lunch break, she had gone to the school cafe to buy her usual cheese pizza slice with orange juice, and had finished when she noticed Danielle picking on a girl - a much older girl. Stephanie soon realised that it was none other than her own arch-rival - Kimmy Gibbler. The Junior High was in the same compound as the primary section, so Stephanie was not surprised to see Kimmy around. She debated with herself over whether she should stick up for Kimmy or not. Sure, Kimmy was a pain in the neck. But Danielle was more than that - a snooty, vicious bully and a brat. Stephanie decided to defend Kimmy, and marched over to the scene.  
"Yo, Danni," she called. "What d'you think you're doing?"  
"This Gibbler girl is a waste of space," scoffed Danielle.  
"You're the waste," retorted Kimmy, "of a human being!"  
"Just stick a sock in it, Gibbler," said Danielle.  
"You stick a sock in it, Donaldson," Stephanie hit back. Dannielle scoffed and swaggered off. Kimmy slumped down on a bench, and Stephanie sat next to her.  
"Kimmy?" she asked.  
"What are you doing, squirt?" asked Kimmy furiously. "Well," said Stephanie, "Danielle is giving me trouble, too. And what's worse is that she's Aunt Becky's cousin's daughter."  
Kimmy looked at Stephanie. She saw this nuisance in a new light - as a potential source of comfort.  
"I'm sorry to hear that, Steph," she said empathetically. "You know, I think there's something worse than being annoying."  
"Definitely," said Stephanie. "Mean is worse than plain ol' annoying."  
Soon, Stephanie and Kimmy had started talking, and by the bell had gone off to signal the end of break, they had grown quite friendly with each other. They said goodbye to each other, then each made their way towards to their respective classrooms. But before Stephanie could enter hers:  
"Stephanie Judith Tanner, please report to the principal's office with immediate effect."  
Stephanie heard her name loud and clear over the tannoy announcement. Wondering what on earth was going on, Stephanie walked to the office. There she was met by the principal.  
"Stephanie Tanner, I am most displeased with your conduct. I have recieved a complaint from a Danielle Donaldson that you have harassed an older student - Kimberley Gibbler. As a result, you are to be detained until six o'clock this evening. No buts - the complaint is percfectly legitimate."  
Stephanie was shocked. How dare Danielle - bully Kimmy and then blame it on her! But there was no way out.

"Why would they put our Steph in detention?" protested Jesse. "She's such a good kid!"  
"Jess, Steph and Kimmy don't always see eye to eye. Maybe she would've gone too far this time," said Joey. Just then, Kimmy stalked in.  
"It's not true!" she cried. "Danielle was the one who was picking on me. Stephanie defended me."  
Jesse froze. "Gibbler, is that true?" he asked.  
"Positive! Stephanie told her to leave me alone. Maybe Danielle reported her! I just know she did it."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yeah! Steph might be a pain sometimes, but she would not go as far as that."  
Jesse paused. "I'll take your word for it, Kimmy."  
Kimmy's tone softened. "I hope I didn't get Steph in trouble."  
"No, you didn't," Jesse reassured Kimmy. Soon enough, Kimmy left.

It was six o'clock, and Jesse was about to head out and fetch Stephanie. He grabbed the keys to his vintage Ford Mustang, and was about to set off when he saw a familiar figure cross the road. It was Stephanie - worn, barefoot and indeed very upset.  
"Steph, you alright?" Jesse asked his niece.  
"Physically - yes," said Stephanie. "But mentally - I am a wreck. Danielle reported me to the principal when I defended Kimmy! I don't know what would make her want to do that!"  
"Steph, we believe you," said Jesse. "Kimmy came here and told us everything."  
"Debbie and Darla are being mean, too," chimed in Michelle. "They got me into trouble with Ms Wiltrout!" "Did they go that far?" Stephanie was shocked. Becky overheard the conversation, and stepped in to help.  
"Girls, now that they've all gone too far, you can report them to the authorities," she said.  
"Are you kidding?" cried Stephanie. "There's no way Principal Robolard is gonna believe me after someone from such an 'influential' family reported me!"  
"And I don't wanna make Ms Wiltrout mad," added Michelle. Becky sighed. "Well, that is a problem," she said. She then caught her husband's attention. "Jess, d'you reckon we should get involved?"  
"I think so, Becks," said Jesse. "Let's see the principal. But first, we need more evidence. I'm not talking about crime movies here."  
Stephanie and Michelle agreed to give it some time before they reported the twins. Until then, they would have to endure a bit more torture at their hands.

Chapter 5 coming soon! 


	6. Car Wars: Return of the Donaldson

Car Wars - the title of this chapter - is not intended to cause copyright infringement. All rights go to Steve Jackson Games (the video game), Tiger Aspect Productions (the Mr Bean producer), and George Lucas (Star Wars).

Soon, the outrage over the fiasco in school passed over. One Saturday morning, Jesse stepped outside. "Nice weather, this," he thought to himself. He decided to take a spin in his vintage Ford Mustang, which he called Sally. He headed back inside, grabbed his keys, backed out of the drive, and set off into town. He enjoyed the breeze mingling with his hair as he sped over the golden gate bridge. Just as he finished taking a roundabout, a giant SUV cut into his path. Jesse screeched to a halt and stepped outside to talk to the driver. Surprisingly, somebody jumped out of the passenger side. Jesse froze: it was Dick Donaldson.  
"Well, Jesse, what a welcome surprise!" he laughed. "You didn't see me coming, huh?"  
"No I didn't," said Jesse. "You jumped in front of me!"  
"Oh, all the road's a playground," said Dick cheerfully, and laughed again. He then got into the front seat of his vehicle, and it lurched off. Jesse decided to ignore him and continued on his drive. Soon, he was on his way home, when he saw Dick's SUV tailing him. Jesse, wanting to be away from Dick as much as possible, sped up, but the SUV kept following him. He soon realised that he was being chased, and tried to keep the jeep of his tail.  
Soon, they were in the countryside, still on one another's tail. Jesse was driving at top speed, but the SUV was getting closer. Eventually, it tailgated. Jesse swerved out of its path - and ended up in a duck pond. Jesse climbed out of the car (over the boot) to watch Dick's SUV speeding off in a cloud of dust.  
"Have mercy, Sally," he moaned, as his Mustang started to sink. He eventually decided that it was no point whinging about the car, and started to venture off in search of a phone. He eventually reached a town, where - much to his horror - he realised that he was on the other side of the county. As soon as he got to the nearest phonebox, he called a tow truck. When it arrived, he led the driver of the truck to the pond he had driven into, by which point the Mustang was half-submerged in the water. With some effort, they got the car out, and they rode to a garage closer to home. The driver even offered Jesse a lift home, which he politely declined.

"Hey, honey," greeted Becky as her husband walked into the kitchen. Joey was watching television with the kids in the living room, while Becky was fiddling around with the Tupperware. She immediately sensed that something wasn't quite right.  
"Jess, is everything alright?" she asked instinctively. Jesse blurted out before he could stop himself. "No, I'm not," he said. "Becks, I got chased by a madman in the countryside. Guess who it was?"  
"Who?" said Becky, alarmed. "Dick and his driver," finished Jesse tersely. Becky stared, open-mouthed for a few seconds, then said, "Really? Were they being serious?"  
"Seemed so. I ended up in a duck pond."  
Becky sighed. "You know what, Jess, I'm starting to have real reservations about Dick and the family, even if they are my cousins."  
"Becks, people can be downright mean, no matter what their connection is to you. And it goes the other way round too - look at Joey. He selflessly moved in with us when Pam died, and we've managed pretty well, for no small reason because of Joey." Then they heard him do another of his ridiculous PopEye impressions, making the children laugh. "Even if he acts like a kid sometimes," finished Jesse.

That night, the family was having dinner. Both Danny and D.J. had called to say that they would be back soon, and even now everyone was excited. "What's the latest on school, girls?" said Joey randomly. "I'm sorry I couldn't ask yesterday."  
"Oh, nothing much," began Michelle. "I ignored Debbie and Darla. But they were being mean!"  
"Then keep on ignoring them, Munchkin," advised Jesse. "What about you, Steph?"  
"Same story," said Stephanie casually, as she poured herself a cup of pumpkin juice. "But I wasn't the only one - everyone in my class is on the receiving end. Only yesterday Marla Higginson was picked on because she was using Crayola pencils in art class, instead of Faber-Castell. How rude!"  
"Snobs," said Jesse. "Steph, always remember this: the bullies normally pick on you because they're insecure - they think they're not good enough. Maybe they're having trouble themselves."  
"Who knows," said Stephanie, as she returned her attention to the meal. The family found other things to talk about as they ate.

More to come in chapter 6! Stay tuned - and pardon me if the plot is not good enough. 


	7. Now is the Time!

It was just another day at elementary school for Stephanie. She'd had a few more computer classes, witnessed a few more episodes from Debbie and Darla and stood up to them several times. It was no good! Those two were still causing trouble for everyone! Stephanie began to wonder if the teachers were next.  
But then, things came to a head. At about three o'clock, everybody was returning from music appreciation. Stephanie wasn't too far from class, when her friend Marla Higginson approached her.  
"Hey, Steph," she greeted. "Uh, Mr Lowry asked for you in the playground."  
"Why in the playground?" Stephanie wondered aloud.  
"I dunno," said Marla. Still wondering, Stephanie walked into the playground. There, she came face to face with somebody who was not Mr Lowry.  
It was Peter Greaves, the grade bully. "Why was I such an idiot?" thought Stephanie, before flashing a nervous smile at Peter. "I guess I'll be off now," she said, and was about to make a move, but Peter was too fast for her.  
"Not so fast, Tanner," snarled Peter. Then, quick as a flash, he had poor Stephanie on the ground, wrestling her all over. Stephanie tried to push him off, but it was no use - Peter was strong, and fat for that matter. By the time he was done, Stephanie was covered with cuts and bruises. Even her shirt had a bit of blood on it.  
"Who made you do that?" said Stephanie, gathering her thoughts.  
"D'you think I'd disobey Danielle Donaldson?" sneered Peter. Stephanie was shocked. Did Danielle really set Peter on her? She picked her books up, and started to make her way to the principal's office. No use - there was a super long queue ahead. Well then, she decided to try Mr Lowry. She found him by the detention homeroom.  
"Mr Lowry -" she began. "Not now, Stephanie," he said shortly. Stephanie detected a hint of coldness in his voice - one she hadn't detected before. "Now go back to class."  
Defeated, Stephanie went back to the classroom. She was so outraged, she didn't bother taking the bus. As soon as the bell rang, she made her way out of the gates and padded all the way home.

Jesse was chilling out on the sofa. He had been jamming out all day in preparation for his gig with his band, Jesse and the Rippers. Just then, he saw Stephanie walk in.  
"Hey, Steph, how was -" then he stopped short when he saw his niece all battered and bruised.  
"What happened to you?" he cried out. Stephanie didn't answer immediately, so Jesse sat his niece down on the sofa.  
"Stephanie, what is going on?" he asked. "It was Danielle, Uncle Jesse!" cried out Stephanie. Her voice was filled with unshed tears. "She set Peter Greaves on me!"  
Jesse knew that his niece couldn't have been lying. "Did she?"  
"Yes, they did! You know what? I think we've held onto this secret for too long now."  
"I think you're right, Steph," said Jesse, as he brought some ointment over. "Now roll up your sleeves - Doctor Jesse is here to help!"  
Stephanie smiled. When she and her sisters were younger, when they had a 'boo-boo', they would go to him for help. Now she felt like she was five years old again, as she lay back against the cushions on the sofa, while Jesse applied ointment and plasters on the cuts. "Thanks, Uncle Jesse," said Stephanie gratefully, as 'Doctor Jesse' - just like he used to do - 'kissed the sores better'. Just then, Michelle came in with Marla Higginson.  
"Marla!" exclaimed Stephanie. "Thanks for picking up Michelle."  
"You're welcome," said Marla. "But what happened to you?"  
"Stephie didn't pick me up!" said Michelle, wagging her finger. "You're in big trouble, mister!"  
"Munchkin," said Jesse, "Stephie's had a bad time at school. She got hurt."  
"Why, what happened?" asked Marla.  
"Did Danielle Donaldson tell you that Mr Lowry was calling me?" said Stephanie quizzically. Marla gasped. "Oh, no!" she cried. "I'm so sorry, Steph."  
"That's okay," said Stephanie, with genuine knowledge that it wasn't Marla's fault.

"So the Donaldson twins tricked you into getting beaten up?" said Joey, later that day at the dinner table.  
"Yep," said Stephanie. "Now, I think it's a good time to tell on those two Donaldson twins."  
"I didn't tell you what happened to me!" said Michelle. By her tone of voice, they knew something was wrong.  
"What happened, Michelle?" urged Becky. Michelle began her story. "Today we had pizza for lunch. And I was about to have a slice, but then Debbie and Darla started a food fight! Next thing I knew, everyone was throwing pizza all over the place! When Ms Wiltrout came over, they told her that it was me! And Ms Wiltrout sent me to the principal's office and he was mean to me."  
Michelle was very upset. Stephanie walked over and put an arm around her.  
"I think I get Debbie and Darla's little game, Michelle," she said. "First they bully us, and then they try to turn the teachers against us! Even Mr Lowry didn't want to listen to what happened to me."  
"Could they have gone that far?" said Becky, taken aback.  
"They must have, Becky, knowing what jerks they are," said Jesse bitterly.  
"Look, girls," said Joey, as he fed Nicky and Alex. "Some people bully others because their victims have something the bullies want. Maybe it's because you're both good kids and everyone likes you, and maybe they feel disliked and left out. Maybe they're directing their anger at you because of that."  
"But everyone likes Debbie, Darla and Danielle!" protested Michelle.  
"And everyone knows how rich they are!" added Stephanie. "Hmm," said Joey. "Now that's a problem. If the teachers don't take you seriously, then we'll have to tell them ourselves."  
"I can't believe it's come to this," said Jesse. "Now we have to intervene."  
"Jess, whatever happens, hopefully there'll be the same outcome - truth will out," said Becky. "Hopefully," repeated Jesse derisively. He was still very angry. "Hopefully."

Stay tuned: Chapter 7 is on its way! 


	8. Narcissistic Personality Syndrome

The next day was also a school day, so it was all the more convenient for Jesse and Becky to go and present their case to the principal. At about eleven o'clock that morning, they drove down in Becky's Toyota Camry to the school, asked the registrar for a convenient time for them to consult the principal, and waited for about half an hour until they were called in. They entered to see a stern looking, portly man wearing a dark suit and tie.  
"Names?" he asked gruffly.  
"Jesse Katsopolis and Rebecca Donaldson, the uncle and aunt-by-marriage of Stephanie and Michelle Tanner," said Jesse.  
"Reason for coming?"  
"Principal Robolard, we've recieved complaints from our nieces about bullying - that they've been bullied in school," said Becky.  
"Who were the bullies?" asked Principal Robolard.  
"Apparently, they were sisters Danielle, Debbie and Darla Donaldson."  
But before either of them could speak, Principal Robolard opened his mouth.  
"Mr Katsopolis and Ms Donaldson, the Donaldson children come from a very reputed family, and are quite unlikely to be bullied. In fact, seeing as Ms Donaldson is related to them, I think she ought to be defending her connections."  
"How do you know that we're related?" asked Becky incredulously.  
"Their father has told me about you," said the principal. "But I cannot take your allegations to be true. You may go now."  
With that, Becky and Jesse left the building, bloodied but not unbowed.

"How could they?" cried Jesse, as he sat in the passenger seat of Becky's car. "Steph was right - they've turned the teachers against us!"  
"Well, Jess," said Becky, as she drove through the town, "we can always inform their parents. In fact, we're going to Cousin Dick's office right now. I normally wouldn't do this - but it's now or never."  
"I'm with you, Becks," said Jesse. "By hook or by crook - we're getting justice for our girls."  
Soon, they had reached a massive building, which had a huge signboard on it - Donaldson's Diamonds. Jesse and Becky went in, and asked to be taken to Dick's office. There, Dick met them, his false front of friendliness on him as always.  
"Well, if it isn't my favourite cousin and her husband!" he said.  
"Actually, Cousin Dick," said Becky, "I think we need to talk about something."  
"Well, be my guest!" laughed Dick, and showed them in. He gave them two rickety old chairs.  
"Dick," began Jesse, "Stephanie and Michelle - our nieces - go to the same school that your daughters go to, and our nieces have come back complaining that your daughters have been bullying them."  
Jesse and Becky thought Dick would suddenly become angry. However, he laughed and said, "Oh, pish-posh! My girls are perfect angels. Maybe you're still sleepwalking. Of course you are, look at your clothes! Ha ha!"  
"But Cousin Dick -"  
"Nonsense! Now, off you go! Get some sleep and get a change of clothes, too!"

"It's no use," said Becky to the girls, when they arrived from school. "Nobody will listen."  
"Why are some people like that?" asked Michelle innocently.  
"Because," said Jesse, still seething, "they seem to think it's okay to hurt others - physically and emotionally. In short," he continued, seeing Michelle's confused expression, "they like to hurt others and hurt their feelings. And it's not okay."  
"Duh!" said Michelle, "of course it's not okay!"

Chapter 8 will come in time! Stay tuned. 


	9. Hiya, Chief!

"Hey, Michelle," said Michelle's friend Denise Frazer. "The Honeybees' mother-daughter sleepover party is on Saturday. Are you coming?"  
"Uh-huh..." said Michelle listlessly. This was always a hard topic to discuss, since Michelle had lost her mother to a drunk driver. Michelle was only a few months old, Stephanie was five, and D.J. was ten. "I'll think about it and let you know," said Michelle. Soon, Denise went home, and Michelle slumped on the sofa. It didn't take long for everyone to realise that something was amiss. "Why the long face, Michelle?" said Becky. "You've been very quiet all afternoon."  
"It's the Honeybees' mother-daughter sleepover party on Saturday, and there's no-one to go with me. Can you come with me?"  
"I'm sorry, Michelle," said Becky sympathetically. "I can't come either - I've got to take Nicky and Alex to the doctor's."  
Stephanie overheard this. "Whoever said that there's no-one to go with you? I'm around, and I'm more than happy to come with you."  
"Yay!" said Michelle, and hugged Stephanie. Becky smiled. "You're a good older sister, Steph," she said. "Well then, that's sorted. I'll drop you off on Saturday evening. But where is it at?"  
"It's at Denise's," said Michelle.  
"Arranged!" said Becky triumphantly.

That Saturday evening, Becky dropped Stephanie and Michelle off at Denise Frazer's house on the way to the clinic, and bade them goodbye. "Well, here we are," said Stephanie. "Now what are we gonna do?"  
"Leave this to us," came a drawl from behind them. Stephanie and Michelle turned. Much to their horror, Danielle, Debbie and Darla were there, and so was their mother, Donna. "We've got everything we need - and we're not sharing," declared Debbie.  
"Manners, Debbie," said Donna, once again in an unconvingingly authoritative tone. "Boy, is this gonna be a fun night," said Michelle to Stephanie, sarcastically.

And it sure was a fun night. Debbie, Darla and Danielle hogged all the good stuff - yet they didn't think it was good enough! What was worse, Denise's mother, who was organising the party, was submitting to their every demand! That was how poor Denise's PS4 got ruined. Soon, bedtime came along, but nobody was remotely tired. At least that was how Danielle, Debbie and Darla treated the situation - they kept making snobby jokes which kept everybody awake. But worse was to follow.  
"Did you hear the one about the youngest mother in the world?" said Debbie. "She's right here - and she doesn't have one either!"  
That did it. Michelle ran back home, apparently in tears. Stephanie knew the feeling - she'd been left overwhelmed at the very sight of other girls with their mums. Now poor Michelle had to experience it, too. Stephanie followed Michelle home. Surprisingly enough, everyone was still wide awake. Joey and Jesse were playing with Nicky and Alex in the living room.  
"Okay, now you put the talcum powder on the carrom board, you strike the die and -"  
"I've had it with these stupid Honeybees!" cried Michelle as she stormed inside. "They're too mean for any of us!"  
"Michelle, it's alright," followed Stephanie's voice. "I know almost exactly how you feel when I see girls with their mums."  
"But you don't know how it feels to be bullied by girls with mums!" said Michelle. She flopped down on the sofa and burst into tears. Stephanie sat beside her.  
"Actually, no, I don't," she said. "People never have bullied me for not having a mum. I never experienced it first-hand. Until now."  
"You did?" said Michelle.  
"I'm the youngest mother in the world, and I don't have one either," said Stephanie.  
"Who said that?" asked Jesse, outraged.  
"Debbie," answered Stephanie. Michelle was still in tears, so Jesse put one arm around her shoulder and sat her on his lap.  
"C'mere, Munchkin," he said. "I feel the same way you do... your mum was my sister. And there are some people who act like complete jerks about losing someone you love. Just pretend they don't exist. C'mere. Cry until you feel better."  
And he consoled Michelle until she fell asleep.

"Did you hear about how the Donaldsons completely ruined the Honeybees' mother-daughter sleepover party?" said Marla Higginson to Stephanie the following Monday.  
"Oh, worse," said Stephanie. "I was there - and Michelle and I experienced a lot of bullying first-hand. Michelle was worse off, though."  
"Jerks," said Marla. "Well, I'll see you around after English."  
"Yep, right back at ya," said Stephanie. She made her way towards her own English class, only to walk into - "Hey, look, it's the youngest mother in the world again."  
Danielle Donaldson was hanging around in the corridors. With her, to make matters worse, was Peter Greaves.  
"Just leave me alone, Donaldson," snapped Stephanie, and tried to get past them.  
"Ooh, someone's got an attitude," said Peter.  
"Look, it doesn't matter! I don't have a mother, and you can't change that, alright?"  
"Need a hankie, Stephie? Just in case you get emotional later?"  
"Let her be, jerks!" came a boy's voice. "So what? She's still a good person. That's why I married her back in second grade!"  
"Hang on - who was that?" thought Stephanie. "Surely it can't be!"  
Soon, the boy had fended Danielle and Peter off Stephanie. He turned around, with a good-natured smile on his face.  
"Harry!" cried out Stephanie.  
"Hiya, chief," said Harry Takayama.

More to come in Chapter 9! Please stay tuned! 


	10. Now What?

"Harry, look at you! You've grown so tall! It's good to see you again!" gushed Stephanie, overjoyed at seeing her old friend. After they exchanged a special high-five, Stephanie asked, "Where've you been all this time?"  
"I went back to Japan," said Harry. "See, my dad had some business there. It was a bit strange - I couldn't understand what they were saying - but I adjusted soon enough." His expression suddenly became more serious. "What were those two picking on you for?"  
"Eh, nothing much," said Stephanie.  
"C'mon, Chief, don't keep it to yourself!" persuaded Harry.  
"Alright... I'll tell you during lunch," said Stephanie. As agreed, they met up in the canteen that afternoon, where Stephanie told Harry everything that happened with the Donaldson children.  
"And the worst part," she finished, "is that their father is my Aunt Becky's cousin! And he's also a jerk!"  
"Sorry to hear that, Chief," said Harry ('Chief' was his nickname for Stephanie, for no particular reason). "But back in Japan, I learnt from my mum and dad that some people have too much, so they think they're the best and everything."  
"I knew that," said Stephanie.  
"Tell you what, though? The best way to handle bullies is to treat them like they're your friends. I learnt that in Japan."  
"But won't you end up falling in the wrong crowd?"  
"Not if you know what you're doing."  
So Stephanie tried to act civil around Danielle the next time they were in class - and they were soon, at Music Appreciation.  
"Hey, Tanner, you've never heard of Patrick Swayze by any chance, have you?"  
"Y-well, no, I haven't. Tell me all about him!"  
"Heh, that just proves it, Tanner!" exclaimed Danielle, before shouting out at the top of her lungs.  
"HEY EVERYBODY!" she yelled. "STEPHANIE TANNER DOESN'T KNOW WHO PATRICK SWAYZE IS!" Before long, the whole class was in laughter. The teacher just turned a blind eye. Stephanie was, once again, urged to cry. Why was this notion of crying coming to her every time? She didn't want to seem weak! Soon enough, the class ended and Stephanie went to tell Harry how the attempt had gone down.

"Sorry, Chief," said Harry remorsefully, when Stephanie told him everything. "I suppose this method didn't work."  
"Or maybe I didn't do it right," said Stephanie, submitting humbly. "Maybe I was too - what's the word again - submissive."  
"Maybe, but something else could've gone wrong," said Harry. "Not all methods work on everyone."  
"True," said Stephanie, as the bell signalling the end of school rang. "Well, Harry, I'll see you around."  
"Okay, Chief," said Harry, and they parted ways at the gate. Stephanie headed back to fetch Michelle, and soon they were on the bus. Michelle told Stephanie about her day - unfortunately, Debbie and Darla had been giving her trouble again.  
"Sorry to hear that, Michelle," said Stephanie with genuine sympathy. "D'you remember my friend Harry, the guy I pretended to marry back when I was in second grade?"  
"Yeah, kind of."  
"He gave me advice on how to deal with Danielle. Unfortunately it didn't work out. Maybe I did something wrong," said Stephanie.  
"Everything goes wrong when you're dealing with the Donaldsons," said Michelle.  
Soon, they got off the bus outside their home. Just then, Jesse arrived in his newly-repaired Ford Mustang.  
"Hey, girls," he greeted, and kissed each one on their heads. "Check that - Sally's as good as new!" he exclaimed, clearly a bit too excited.  
"Well, pin a rose on your nose," said Stephanie, a bit irked by Jesse's excessive excitement.  
"What's that mean?" said Jesse casually.  
"Oh - nothing," said Stephanie, with a nervous laugh. Then they all went inside. In the kitchen, Becky and Joey were feeding Nicky and Alex.  
"Hey, girls," said Joey. "How was school?"  
Stephanie and Michelle told them everything. Jesse was outraged once more.  
"Those weasels," he raged. "One day they'll lose everything and learn their lesson."  
"Jess, honey, I know you're angry," said Becky, "but don't say that."  
Just then, the door burst open. Lo and behold - "Hello, family!" exclaimed Dick Donaldson, his entire family following suit. Jesse wanted to groan.  
"I thought we ought to tell you that we have got tickets to Indonesia!" said Dick, holding five white First Class airline tickets.  
Now that made Stephanie want to say 'pin a rose on your nose', but now wasn't the time. Michelle gave Debbie and Darla a dirty look, which they returned.  
"Oh, okay," said Becky, nonchalantly. "Well, have a nice trip, and do send us a postcard."  
"Even better," said Donna. "We'll get you a photo frame!"  
"Second hand, worth five rupiahs!" said Dick, and they laughed. "See you soon!" he said, and the five of them climbed into their SUV, which cruised off.  
"It's a shame Comet didn't chew the tickets up then and there," said Michelle, as the family's Golden Retriever leapt into the kitchen.

The following Saturday night, Jesse and Joey took Michelle and the twins out to a comedy gig. Neither Stephanie or Becky wanted to join them, so they hung back, minding their own business. Soon, Becky found Stephanie pacing listlessly up and down the hall.  
"Hey, Steph," said Becky. "Everything alright?"  
"Yeah, I guess," said Stephanie. "Aunt Becky - I was wondering. Why are some people so mean? Are they being bullied? Or do they think it's okay to treat other people badly?"  
Becky, perplexed by the complexity of the question, sat her niece down on the sofa.  
"Honey, there's more than one reason for that," she said. "What you said could be true. But d'you know the reason some people can be mean? Well, with money comes fame, and with fame comes an ego."  
"What the heck is that?" asked Stephanie.  
"An ego is a belief, that you are the best person in the world. Trust me, it's not a good thing, having an ego. D'you know what you need, though?"  
"What?"  
"Self-regulation is very important. Even when you get a lot of stuff, it's important to keep your feet on the ground and get on with others. I'm lucky to know many people who were able to stay the same, no matter what happened to them, either good or bad."  
Becky then picked up the remote control for the television. "D'you think there's anything to watch?"  
"Weren't we supposed to be in bed?" Stephanie said.  
"Well, it's Saturday night, so I guess we can make an exception today," said Becky, turning the television on. They were greeted by a man's warm voice, singing to them.  
"It's a beautiful day in this neighbourhood, a beautiful day for a neighbour, would you be mine? Could you be mine?"  
"Oh, Mister Rogers!" cried Becky nostalgically. "Every day when we finished our homework, our parents would let us watch this." The two of them watched as Fred Rogers took them to meet Bill Strickland, and as Lady Elaine tried to ruin all the other toys in the Land of Make Believe with clay. By the end of the episode, Stephanie was half-asleep, her head perched on Becky's shoulder, as her aunt's arm wrapped itself around her back. Mister Rogers concluded his episode as usual: "And remember, I like you just the way you are. Thank you for being you." Then, just as the credits rolled up, a knock came at the door. Becky answered it, and motioned for Stephanie to go up to bed. There was a grave looking police officer.  
"Are you Rebecca Donaldson and are you related to Richard Donaldson?"  
"Yes I am - I'm his cousin," said Becky. "Ms Donaldson," said the cop sadly, "I'm afraid your cousin's been in an accident."

What happens next? Be patient - Chapter Ten will reveal all! 


	11. An Unexpected Turn

No copyright infringement is intended to Chuck Berry or David Walliams.

"What happened?" said Becky, horrified.  
"Apparently, their vehicle had been run into by a fuel tanker while they were travelling from a tourist spot back to their hotel. The car exploded, and the children survived with minor injuries, but I'm afraid Richard and his wife didn't quite make it," said the cop glumly. "I'm sorry, Ms Donaldson."  
"What about the children?" Becky asked the cop.  
"They've been booked a flight home and then they'll be given a place to stay - preferably with relatives."  
Becky sighed, and said, "Okay, officer. Thank you for telling me."  
"No problem, ma'am," said the officer, then he got into his car and drove off.  
Becky, still shocked, went upstairs to check on Stephanie. Relieved to see that she was fast asleep, Becky sat with her in her bed for a few minutes. Then the phone rang downstairs, and Becky headed over to answer it.  
"Hello?" she said, startled.  
"Hello, dear," came the voice of Becky's mother, Nedra Donaldson.  
"Oh, hi, Mum," said Becky breathlessly.  
"I'm sorry to call you up so late, but I just heard the terrible news about Dick and Donna."  
"Yes, I know," said Becky. "They were meant to be enjoying themselves!"  
"Well, the children are coming to stay with me and your dad," said Mrs Donaldson.  
"When are they coming back to school?" asked Becky. "There aren't any plans yet, dear," said Mrs Donaldson. "But soon. Why don't you all come down to see them?"  
"We'll see if there's anything we can do," said Becky. "Alright then, talk to you later. 'Night," she finished, and with that, she put the phone down. She was still in shock. Her cousins might have been jerks, but they were still her cousins! Just then, Jesse, Joey, and the children came in. The children were asleep - Joey was carrying Michelle, while Jesse carried his boys. After Becky helped to put them to bed, she gathered Jesse and Joey.  
"Jesse, Joey, I have some sad news, I'm afraid," she said.  
"What?" asked Joey, alarmed.  
"I got a message from the police," she said. "Dick and Donna - they were in an accident. They didn't make it," explained Becky, now close to tears.  
"Have mercy," mouthed Jesse, horrified, and put an arm around his wife. "What about the girls?"  
Becky was relieved that Jesse was being sympathetic, even though he didn't quite see eye to eye with Dick and Donna.  
"They'd be coming to stay with Mum and Dad," she said, "but we were allowed to go and see them."  
"Well, that's awful, Becky, I'm sorry for your loss," said Joey.  
"Thanks, boys," said Becky, and put an arm each around both Jesse and Joey. "Well, we've got to look out for them now, whether we like it or not," she concluded.

Nicky and Alex couldn't quite understand the concept of death, so the grown-ups broke the news to Michelle and Stephanie the next morning. Even they were shocked.  
"Girls, I know you didn't really get on with Debbie, Darla and Danielle, but we have to be nice to them," said Joey at the breakfast table.  
"I understand," said Michelle.  
"What happened to them, anyway?" said Stephanie, who was always the curious one. "They had a car accident," said Jesse, as he poured everyone some tea. "The car they were travelling in crashed into an oil tanker and it got blown up."  
"That's terrible," replied Stephanie, blowing at her hot drink. Just then, somebody arrived. The arrival was so expected, that - in the words of David Walliams - it was actually unexpected. "Hola, Tannerinos!" chirped Kimmy Gibbler as she barged in. "Garth and I have just started a free long-distance taxi service! Need a lift?"  
"Not right now, Kimmy," said Jesse curtly.  
"Or maybe..." began Becky. "Kimmy, we're hoping to go down to Nebraska to visit a relative next weekend. I was wondering if you'd be free to drive us down?'  
"Sure thing, Mrs K.!" said Kimmy happily. "Ride 37 to Nebraska - consider it booked!" And with that, she flounced outside. "Becky," said Jesse. "Did you have to do that?"  
"Jess, I thought you were gonna co-operate," said Becky.

Eventually, Friday night arrived, and with it, Kimmy and Garth's van.  
"All aboard, Tannerinos!" said Kimmy, as everyone tried to get in. "Next stop - Nebraska!"  
But there was one small problem: there was no space!  
"How are all of us going to get in here?" wondered Joey aloud.  
"Becky and I can follow you if it's too packed," offered Jesse. "Good idea, Jess, but you do the driving. I can't do long distances," teased Becky.  
"Okey-dokey, bigshot," hit back Jesse cheekily, and soon they were off. Joey and the girls rode in the back of the van (the smell was almost bearable this time) while Jesse, Becky, Nicky and Alex followed in Becky's car. Soon, they were at Becky's parents' house, and the Donaldson girls were there.  
"We're sorry to hear about your mum and dad," said Stephanie sympathetically, when she and Michelle met them.  
"It didn't matter," spat Danielle. "They didn't get us enough things, anyway."  
Both Michelle and Stephanie was shocked at what they heard. Maybe it was denial... or was it? Becky came in, and Danielle flung herself into her arms, pretending to cry.  
"Danni, c'mere, sweetheart. It's okay to cry," said Becky, as she stroked Danielle's back. Debbie and Darla too went to hug her.  
"I regret what I said to Michelle so much!" sobbed Danielle.  
"Well, now you know," said Becky soothingly. As she consoled her relatives, Danielle turned back and smirked evilly at Stephanie and Michelle.

"Are they really sad about their parents?" asked Michelle, lying in bed next to Stephanie. They were allowed to crash down in the attic that night.  
"C'est la vie, says Stephanie, it goes to show you never can tell," said Stephanie. "They might be, they might not be."  
"But were you like that when Mum died?" Michelle asked inquisitively.  
Stephanie sighed, then said, "Michelle, I don't remember much about losing Mum. But I do remember feeling really sad. I cried, D.J. cried, Dad cried - but that's all I remember."  
"Are people always like that when somebody dies?"  
"It depends on how strong they are, I guess," said Stephanie. "Ask Aunt Becky, though. She's a super anthropologist."  
"You got it, dude," said Michelle, and soon, both sisters were asleep in one another's arms.

Chapter 11 coming soon! 


	12. You Never Can Tell, Can You?

Stephanie and Michelle hoped they could bond with Danielle, Debbie and Darla over the loss of their parents - after all, they, too had lost their mother. But they couldn't have been more wrong. Although the Donaldson girls acted dramatically devastated over having lost their parents in front of the grown-ups, behind the scenes, they caused more trouble for the Tanner sisters than ever. It all came to a head when Kenneth, Becky's father, took them to the duck-pond. "Alright, girls," said Kenneth. "Your aunts and uncles would come here to catch frogs. Now, why don't you enjoy yourselves a little bit?, just like the old grownups did when they were your age?"  
"This is gonna be fun," said Debbie to Darla, as Michelle started to cross the small footbridge over the duck-pond. Stephanie followed her, but before either of them could get off - SPLASH!  
Stephanie and Michelle were in the water; the bridge had given way! Darla had taken a pair of scissors and cut a few ropes supporting the bridge. Stephanie and Michelle, both fairly strong swimmers, managed to get themselves up to the surface, spluttering and spitting out water.  
"HOW RUDE!" gasped Stephanie, as Kenneth helped her and Michelle out of the water. "You're in big trouble, mister!" said Michelle, wagging her finger at Debbie, Darla and Danielle.

"Do you think they're overwhelmed?" Michelle asked Becky. She and Stephanie had changed into some dry clothes and were now at the fireplace with the grown-ups. "Maybe," said Becky. "People often need to express their sadness or anger when something sad happens, and sometimes they don't know how to handle it. But you can't blame them."  
"One thing, though, is that I think it's time for us to go," said Jesse.  
"Well, if it's not because of what they did, then I guess so," said Becky. "Besides, they might need the space."  
So, the following morning, Kimmy and her brother drove up and picked Stephanie, Michelle, Becky and the twins up, while Joey and Jesse followed suit in the Toyota. After about an hour or two, they were back home. Jesse paid Kimmy and Garth, and soon they were on their way. The next school week passed without event. Everybody had gotten to know about the demise of Dick and Donna Donaldson, and unsurprisingly, no-one was remotely sad about it. "They learnt their lesson," said Denise Frazer to Michelle, on Friday.  
"I don't think they deserved it, though," said Michelle. "Aunt Becky says that it's wrong to wish that something bad will happen to someone, even if it's someone you don't like."  
Denise shook her head in disagreement and walked away. Luckily for Stephanie, things were going a bit smoother with telling Harry.  
"Your Aunt Becky's right, Chief," said Harry. "That's another lesson I learnt in Japan."  
"Only thing is, no-one seems to be thinking along the same lines," explained Stephanie.  
"Mhm," said Harry, as he finished his lunch. Soon, school finished, and Stephanie joined Michelle on the bus. As usual, they talked about their day, and Michelle told Stephanie about what Denise had said.  
"Everyone hates the Donaldsons, so much so that they want bad things to happen to them," said Stephanie. "And when bad things do happen, they think it's good. Argh, I think I've said that too many times now."  
Eventually, they arrived, to a surprise. Debbie, Darla and Danielle were in the living room with Becky.  
"Girls, Debbie, Darla and Danielle are back from Nebraska. They wanted to go to school, so they'll be staying with us for a while."  
"And I want to say sorry for what happened at the farm," said Darla, in a seemingly plausible tone.  
"It's okay," said Michelle.  
"It's very nice of you to apologise," said Becky. "Shall I make you girls something to drink?"  
"Yes, please, Aunt," said Danielle, in her cutesy tone. Becky bustled off to the kitchen. As Stephanie and Michelle had expected, the Donaldson sisters' demeanour changed as soon as they saw them.  
"Sisters," said Danielle, "we are gonna have some fun for the next few days."

Within the weekend, everything went bananas! Debbie and Darla ruined Jesse's drum set (Michelle got into trouble for just touching it once) and got away with it! Meanwhile, Danielle broke into D.J.'s room and tried on all her make-up. Stephanie had tried to stop her - to no avail - but she hadn't realised Danielle's ulterior motive; to demean Stephanie for looking 'plain'. But worst was when all five of them, who were supposed to be playing hide-and-seek, got into the attic. Poor Michelle got stuck in the wall behind Jesse's folding bed! Luckily, Stephanie managed to call Jesse for help.  
"C'mere, Munchkin," said Jesse, as he freed Michelle. "What on earth were you doing there in the first place?"  
"She was being irresponsible, Uncle," said Danielle. "And Stephanie dared her to do it!"  
"I did not!" Stephanie almost laughed at the lie.  
"Girls, this stuff is dangerous. If this happens again, I'm gonna have to tell your dad," said Jesse to his nieces. "Danielle, good job. You're a great elder sister to everyone," he finished, and he left. As soon as he was out of earshot, Danielle sneered, "Beat that, suckers!"  
Stephanie and Michelle looked at each other. They were in big trouble, mister!

Chapter 12 coming soon! 


	13. An Unlikely Ally?

The only good thing about the Donaldson sisters' snobbery was that Stephanie and Michelle could spend time with each other on the bus ride home everyday, since Danielle asked Jesse to pick her and her sisters up in Becky's car, and there was no space for all six of them. Although they apparently complained of how 'rundown' the Toyota Camry was, Jesse didn't say anything, on the grounds that they were still not coping too well over the demise of their parents.  
As it happened, several days later, a photography workshop for the fourth-grade students at school, and everyone in Mr Lowry's class - Stephanie included - was allowed to take a camera with them to school. Michelle was down with a cold, so Stephanie promised to take some photos for her. As soon as Stephanie and Danielle reached school, Danielle began to pick on Stephanie.  
"What's that camera you've got, Tanner?" she sneered.  
"It's my dad's old Polaroid," said Stephanie matter-of-factly. "It's nothing compared to this," jeered Danielle, pointing at her camera, which, indeed, looked pretty sophisticated. "I got this last year, and it's German. Your camera can't do anything!"  
"Okay, class, settle down," said Mr Lowry. "I want you to go down to the playground and capture everything you think makes for a good picture. But you musn't include pictures of others, especially without their knowledge or permission."  
Soon, they were taking all photos of just about everything. Danielle had caught several beautiful snaps, and was gloating to Stephanie. Undaunted, Stephanie carried on. As she got a picture of a bunch of bluebells at the right angle, she heard noises coming from the other side of the wall. Stephanie peeked over to see what was going on. It was a man threatening another man. The attacker was surprisingly well-dressed, whereas the victim was somewhat shabby. Definitely 'low standard' as the Donaldsons would say. Stephanie watched, wondering what on earth was happening, but there was no violence, and the attacking man eventually walked off. Stephanie would tell Jesse, Joey and Becky when she got home, glad that she hadn't taken any photographs so far.

"Did he, now?" said Jesse, as Stephanie told him what had happened.  
"Uh-huh," said Stephanie, who was showing Michelle her Polaroid photographs. "I thought I ought to tell you."  
"Steph, are you sure this was newsworthy? I don't think so," said Jesse, bluntly.  
"Suit yourself," said Stephanie, who was a tad annoyed that he uncle wasn't really enthused by the news. However, there was a chance meeting the following day.  
Jesse was on his day off, and decided to spend the time cruising around in the Mustang. He drove through town, and as it happened, he went past the local school. As his windows were down, he heard shouting.  
"Do you not know how to keep a promise? I should think not!" came a voice, followed by sounds of punching. Jesse felt inclined to intervene, so he did. A tall, young, well-dressed fellow was taking it out on an older man. Jesse jumped in between them.  
"Hey, hey, hey, easy!" he said, drawing them apart. "What's going on?" he asked the younger man. Much to his puzzlement, he stormed off. The older man, who was not very tall, black, and greying, looked to be in his mid-fifties, thanked Jesse.  
"No worries, my man," he said. "Wanna join me at my house?" he asked, suddenly overcome by an urge to be more generous than he desired.  
"Oh no, I couldn't possibly-"  
"I insist," said Jesse, so the man, who thanked him once more and got into the passenger seat of the Mustang; they introduced themselves to each other and talked a little. When they arrived, Becky was around, too, with Nicky and Alex - both were not well, so Becky was tending to them.  
"Pardon me for turning up so unexpectedly, ma'am," said the guest.  
"Oh, not at all," said Becky, and shook the man's hand. "Jesse must have introduced himself to you. I'm his wife, Rebecca Donaldson, and these" - she pointed to her twin sons, who were sitting in the high chairs - "are our boys, Nicky and Alex."  
"Donaldson?" The man suddenly became confused.  
"Yes," said Jesse, alarmed. "Donaldson was my old employer. Dick Donaldson."  
Becky gasped. "What a coincidence. I had a cousin named Dick Donaldson. He was the founder of Donaldson's Diamonds and he owned a restaurant chain."  
"Well, that's the one. Let me tell him what I know about you," said the man. "Mind if I sit down?"  
"Not at all," said Becky. The man sat down and began to speak.  
"My name is Boyce Brody," he said, "and I worked for Dick Donaldson as his driver."  
"I think I saw you somewhere," said Jesse.  
"Yes, you did. I'm sorry, Mr Katsopolis - I was the one who drove you into the duck pond. I don't get why I was doing that."  
"Well, it's alright - my car was repaired, and I was alright. Tell me more," said Jesse sympathetically.  
"Others may say this and be lying, but I swear on my son's life - I'm being honest with you. Mr Donaldson - he did a lot of things I didn't like. He was kinda harsh to everyone who worked for him. I guess I was no exception."  
"What sort of things did he do?"  
"He didn't beat us. He rarely yelled at us. It was the teasing, though. He often said stuff about our backgrounds and families. And he didn't pay us. I mean, never," explained Boyce.  
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," said Becky. "Mr Brody -"  
"No, please - call me Boyce," insisted Boyce.  
"Boyce, how did Jesse find you?" Becky asked.  
"Well, a guy was pickin' on me on the street today. Said he was Mr Donaldson's nephew, and ordered him to beat me up if I didn't give him money. I don't know why he wanted the money."  
"Boyce," said Jesse, "is that true? We just found out that Mr Donaldson and his wife had both died in an accident not too long ago."  
"Really?" said Boyce. "I heard nothin' of the sort."  
"Well," said Becky, "cousin or not, I don't think Mr Donaldson should have ordered someone to beat you up." "Even if he was dead after all," she told herself silently.  
"Of course not, ma'am," said Boyce. "But I'm thankful Mr Katsopolis here stepped in to help."  
"Please do call us by our names," said Becky permissively.

Soon, Stephanie and Michelle arrived home from school on the bus. As they came into the kitchen, Jesse called to Stephanie.  
"Steph," he said, "you say you saw a man with another man yesterday? Well, we picked somebody up off the street. Does he look familiar to you?"  
Stephanie took one look at him, then said, "Yes he was - that was the guy who was being bullied."  
"Boyce, this is my niece, Stephanie. She thought she saw you being hassled yesterday."  
"Is that so?" said Boyce, and clapped a hand on Stephanie's shoulder. "Little girl, you saved my life."  
"I don't know," said Stephanie shyly, then introduced Michelle. "This is my sister, Michelle."  
"Hi, it's nice to meet you," said Michelle, and shook hands with Boyce.  
"As it happens," said Jesse, "this gent over here was Dick Donaldson's driver, and he was also being given a lot of trouble."  
"Oh," said Michelle, "did he have three daughters?"  
"Yeah, he did," said Boyce, "and they were pretty rambunctious."  
"Well, as it happens, after Dick and Donna died, the girls are staying with us," said Becky. "Our friend Joey Gladstone - he lives with us too - he's picking them up from school."  
Just then, the noise of Joey's car rang in. Boyce asked, "Is that them?"  
"Yes, it is," said Becky.  
"Uh oh! I'd better leave. Thanks for helping me, Jesse," said Boyce, and he escaped through the back door. No sooner than that, Joey came in with Debbie, Darla and Danielle. "What's going on?" asked Danielle.  
"Er... nothing," said Becky. "Why don't you girls get changed and have some delicious Rocky Road ice cream?"  
"Oh, that would be lovely, Aunt," said Danielle, in her fake cutesy tone. "Thank you ever so much!"  
And with that, Danielle and her sisters went upstairs.  
"That was close," said Michelle to Jesse.

Chapter 13 is coming up soon, so please stay tuned! 


	14. No!

Soon, Boyce had found a way to dodge the Donaldson girls. Meanwhile, Joey had met him, too, and they took to each other like a hammer to a nail. Eventually, the Tanners became close friends with Boyce, who visited when the children were at school.  
It just so happened that one day, Jesse, Joey and Becky were at home with Nicky and Alex, while Debbie, Darla, Danielle, Stephanie and Michelle were at school. Jesse and his band had performed at the live opening of a new restaurant the previous night, and he was resting afterwards. The twins were still not well, so Becky was tending to them and driving them around to doctors' appointments, and Joey was still looking for work. "Joseph," teased Jesse, "you surely can't spend the rest of your life living here without paying rent."  
"Don't worry, Jess, I will get a job," reassured Joey. "The one at the children's club seems pretty good to me, so, who knows? I just might earn it!"  
"Yeah, it suits you," said Jesse. Just then the phone rang, and Jesse went to answer it. "Talk to me," he said.  
"Jess... it's me, Boyce..." came a hoarse voice that made it sound like the speaker was in trouble.  
"Boyce? What the hell's going on?" asked Jesse.  
"Help... come to Donaldson's Diamonds, head office... please..." and then the line slammed shut. Jesse called to his wife.  
"Becky!" he cried. "Boyce is in trouble."  
Becky ran down the stairs.  
"Jesse, what on earth is going on?" she asked.  
"It was Boyce," said Jesse. "He was at Donaldson's Diamonds - I think he's being held hostage!"  
"We've got to help him, then," said Becky. "Joey, can you keep an eye on Nicky and Alex?"  
"Sure thing, Becks," said Joey.  
"Thanks," said Becky, and she and Jesse headed out to her Toyota Camry. Jesse got into the driver's seat before Becky could, and they sped off to Donaldson's Diamonds.  
"Step aside, please," said Jesse, as they dashed into the building. "It's an emergency!" He and Becky ignored the lifts and galloped up the many flights of stairs. As they approached the head office, they heard a voice.  
"I shouldn't have gone out... you little piece of vermin, you dare try to call for help!"  
The voice sounded eerily familiar. "Is that..." wondered Becky aloud.  
"I think it is," said Jesse, and knocked the door down. He was in for the shock of his life.  
It was Dick Donaldson.

You weren't expecting this, were you? 


	15. To A Head

The expression on Dick Donaldson's face turned from steamed to nervous, when he saw Becky and Jesse.  
"Cousin Dick, what on earth are you doing here?" asked Becky incredulously.  
"It's a long story, Rebecca," spat Dick. "I can't explain. First I have to get rid of this piece of vermin!" he shouted, and stomped on Boyce's foot.  
"AAAAHHHH!" screamed Boyce, trying to break free from the ropes that bound him to the chair he was sitting on.  
"Shut up!" yelled Dick. A grunt of approval came from behind; Jesse and Becky turned to see Donna watching what was going on, smoking a cigarette.  
"We thought you were dead!" shouted Jesse.  
"I was dead!" responded Dick. "I was in debt! So I escaped to Indonesia, made the kids think that they were going on vacation, then told them what I was doing, and sent them back here! I couldn't think of an explanation, so I told everyone that I was dead!"  
"You were faking it?" cried Becky incredulously.  
"Yes I was," said Dick, apparently unashamed.  
"You jerk!" Becky hollered at her cousin. "I tolerated you, I tolerated those kids, and now you go and pretend to be dead! You're sick!"  
"Who the hell are you to tell him what to do?" snapped Donna, rising from her chair.  
"A human, at least!" Becky hit back.  
"You cow!" raged Dick, and pushed Becky against his desk; she slipped and fell on her arm.  
"You leave them alone!" bellowed Jesse. Dick and Donna turned around. "Richard Donaldson, over the time I've known you, you have proven to me that you are nothing but a cruel, patronising, evil wretch!"  
"How dare you, Jesse Katsopolis!" shouted Dick, and punched Jesse in the face. Jesse's nose was bleeding, he sensed it, but he got up, helped Becky up from off the floor, and untied Boyce. Surprisingly, Dick and Donna had both disappeared. "Maybe," thought Jesse, "he escaped while I was regaining my senses."  
He then turned his attention to the other two. "Becky, Boyce, you okay?"  
"We're fine," said Becky.  
"I told you Dick Donaldson was quite harsh," said Boyce. As soon as they could, Jesse, Becky and Boyce escaped from the building, and drove to the police station to report Dick and Donna for faking their deaths. They then dropped Boyce off at home, before heading back to their place. Much to their surprise, Stephanie and Michelle were back early.  
"You're early, girls," said Becky.  
"Well, guess what?" said Michelle.  
"Dick and Donna Donaldson are alive!" exclaimed Stephanie. "They came in without any warning..." began Michelle.  
"...picked Debbie, Darla and Danielle up..."  
"...then set fire to the playground..."  
"...and we were evacuated!" finished Stephanie.  
"They set fire to the playground?" said Becky.  
"Now everyone knows how far they'd go," said Jesse.  
"What d'you mean?" Michelle asked.  
"Long story, Munchkin," said Jesse. "I'll tell you later."  
Naturally, it didn't take Stephanie long to notice that Jesse's nose was broken and bleeding. "Uncle Jesse, what happened to your nose?"  
"Part of the long story," said Jesse.  
"Looks like the doctor himself needs treatment," said Stephanie. "I'll be back with a hankie and some ice."  
So Stephanie treated her uncle's injuries, and later he told her and Michelle - and Joey - everything at the dinner table.  
"And he escaped, right behind my back!" he explained, as he and Becky fed Nicky and Alex.  
"Well," said Joey. "Some people are jerks, but some people are nutters. And no offense - I think Dick Donaldson falls into the 'nutter' category."  
"None taken," said Becky. "Even if he was my cousin."  
"Remember what you told me the other day about how people behave, Aunt Becky?" said Stephanie. "I think you forgot something. With an ego, I think, comes the feeling that it's okay to hurt other people."  
"You're right, Steph," said Becky. "I wish I knew that."  
"I think we did," said Jesse. "We just didn't think it would come this far."

The news about Dick Donaldson and his wife spread like a wildfire. Needless to say, everyone was outraged to hear that someone could be so vile to fake their death in order to escape paying debts. Boyce, meanwhile, was more grateful to Jesse and Becky than ever. He invited everyone to lunch at his place. They didn't have much - the Donaldsons would have recoiled if they were there - but the Tanners enjoyed themselves, and they bonded with Boyce's family.  
After a short period of peace, Jesse was at home with Joey, working on an advertising jingle. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Jesse answered it. It was a taxi driver.  
"Jesse Katsopolis?" the driver asked. Jesse nodded.  
"A cab has been booked in your name to San Francisco International Airport." "By who?"  
"Your wife, Rebecca Donaldson. It's an emergency."  
"Righto," said Jesse. He said goodbye to Joey and got into the back of the taxi. Shortly afterwards, his mobile phone rang. It was Becky.  
"Jess, the reason I booked that cab for you is that I just heard that Cousin Dick is trying to fly out to Germany to escape from the police. They've got fake passports and everything."  
"Well, it's a good thing you did," said Jesse. Soon, he was at the airport, and he rushed over to the chief security officer.  
"Did anybody matching this picture check into the airport?" he asked, holding a picture of Dick that was in his wallet.  
"Yes, he did," said the officer, a portly, friendly-faced elderly gentleman who used a wheelchair. "An Eric Simpson."  
"That's not him," said Jesse. "It's Dick Donaldson, and he's a criminal on the run!"  
"Is he now? The guy from Donaldson' Diamonds who faked his death?" It suddenly dawned on the officer. "Dad gum! It is him! We gotta catch him."  
The officer opened his work cubicle gate and rolled out. "Follow me," he said, and Jesse ran after the officer. Soon, they came to the boarding gate, where boarding was just about to be announced. There, they saw Dick, apparently distracted with a magazine. He turned, saw Jesse and the officer, and panicked. Just then, the tannoy broke open.  
"All passengers please board American Airlines Flight 347 to Berlin, Germany," said the announcer. Dick gathered up his family and they ran onto the runway leading to the aeroplane. Jesse and the officer tried to follow, but they lost him.  
"Hard luck," said the officer. "Has he been reported?"  
"Well, as it happens, I reported him," said Jesse.  
The officer sighed. "I wish I had taken a bit more notice. Guess I was preoccupied."  
"It's not your fault," reassured Jesse. "Hopefully he'll get caught in Germany, or wherever it is he's going." "Maybe," said the officer. "Well, thanks for letting me know." He headed back to his desk. Jesse was about to head back to the exit, when he heard a very familiar voice.  
"Jess?"  
Jesse turned. His heart skipped a beat. It was Danny, and with him, D.J.!  
"Daniel, where've you been, my man?" said Jesse. "We were wondering if you'd forgotten about us! Deej, how you doing, good to see you!" "It's great to see you too, Uncle Jesse!" said D.J., who hugged her uncle.  
"How'd you end up coming back together?" Jesse asked.  
"Oh, it was pretty much by chance," said D.J., "and if you're wondering what the delays were about, don't ask 'cause neither of us know."  
"But what were you doing here?" Danny asked Jesse. It was a reasonable question.  
"I'll tell you on the way home," said Jesse. He heard that plane taking off, and wished he and the officer had taken a bit more effort to stop Dick. The cab ride passed smoothly, and it wasn't long before Jesse, Danny and D.J. arrived home. Jesse asked Danny and D.J. to stay outside for a bit, and he went inside. Everyone was watching television in the living room, and Michelle spoke up first.  
"Uncle Jesse, why are you always running everywhere?" she asked innocently.  
"This time, Munchkin, I brought back a surprise." He snapped his fingers, and, right on cue, Danny and D.J. came in.  
"Dad!" cried Stephanie.  
"Deej!" exclaimed Becky.  
"Daniel!" gushed Joey.  
"D.J.!" revelled Michelle.  
After all the hugging had finished, Danny spoke up. "So, how've you been? What's all this dilemma with the Donaldsons Uncle Jesse was telling me about?" he asked.  
Everyone spoke in turns, eliciting a few "Really?"'s from Danny and many "Oh Mylanta!"'s from D.J., and when they finished, their newly-returned family members were speechless.  
"Well," said Danny, "some people are like that - mean, selfish and... that's just about it."  
"I think we got enough evidence when they stayed with us," said Becky.

The next morning, Danny had seen the girls off to school - all three of them had gone with Kimmy, by the way - and had sat down to watch the news with Jesse, Joey, Becky and the twins. As soon as it came on, the news anchor started to speak.  
"Breaking news: American Airlines Flight 347 to Germany has crashed. Only three of the five hundred people on board have survived, and they have been identified as three sisters: ten-year-old Danielle Donaldson and five-year-old twins Debbie and Darla Donaldson."  
"Have mercy," said Jesse. "Flight 347's the one Dick got onto!"  
"And now his daughters have lost their parents for real," said Becky. "Poor kids."

You weren't expecting this, were you? Chapter 15 will come up soon, and hopefully, there'll be a good ending. I just gotta think of one. 


	16. Turning Over a New Leaf

That afternoon, D.J., Stephanie and Michelle took the bus home together. When they got home, they were surprised to see all the adults looking grave.  
"Girls," said Danny, "we have some sad news for you. Please sit down."  
Stephanie, Michelle and D.J. sat on the sofa, wondering what on earth was going on.  
"We watched the news this morning," said Becky, "and we learnt that there was a plane crash. As it happened, the Donaldsons were on that plane."  
"Were they okay?" D.J. asked.  
"I'm afraid Dick and Donna were killed, this time for real," said Joey.  
"Did anybody survive?" Michelle asked.  
"Only three people: Debbie, Darla and Danielle," said Jesse. The girls were incredulous at first, but the event was shown again that night at seven o'clock. Much to their surprise, even they were sympathetic. "To lose their parents twice... oh Mylanta, that's just terrible," said D.J., who was almost in tears.  
"I think they knew their parents were still alive the first time they 'died'," said Stephanie. "When the grown-ups weren't around, they used to act like they didn't care about their parents and said really mean stuff about them. Now I think I know why they were acting like this."  
"Well, that's possible, Steph," said Jesse. Just then, the phone rang, and Becky answered it. It was her mother, Nedra, to say that the Donaldson girls would be staying with them in Nebraska. "This time, they know it's for real," said Becky, as she hung up. "It would be just silly, faking your death over and over again - it'll turn out like the boy who cried wolf."

Soon afterwards, there was a call from Nebraska to say that the Tanners were invited to visit. After some thought, Becky and the family agreed to go. However there was one problem: since Danny had been away for so long, there was no-one to start his car and something had happened to the engine. As it was now being repaired in the garage, they had to sort transport out. "I have the perfect idea," said Jesse, went to the phone, and called somebody. That somebody, as it turned out, was Boyce Brody, who soon turned up in Dick's old SUV. "Going to Nebraska, eh?" he said. "Well, I want to sympathise with Dick's family, so I'll come too, if it's okay with you."  
"Even though they didn't treat you well?" Joey asked.  
"An eye for an eye, says Gandhi, and the whole world goes blind," reasoned Boyce. "Jump in, I'll take you there."  
So Danny and his daughters got into the SUV, while Joey, Jesse, Becky and the twins followed in their car. Both Danny and D.J. bonded with Boyce, who told them stories about his family. Eventually, they got to Kenneth and Nedra's house in Nebraska. Boyce offered his condolences to Becky's parents, asked them to pass his wishes on to Debbie, Darla and Danielle, and left. After about an hour or so, the Tanner sisters were ready to see the Donaldson sisters. After asking Nedra if it was okay to do so, they went into the guest room. D.J. knocked.  
"Come in," sniffled a voice. Stephanie opened the door, to see Danielle Donaldson lying face down on the bed, with Debbie and Darla sitting beside her. Their faces were streaked with tears. Michelle spoke first.  
"I'm sorry about your parents," she said, directly to Darla. She wondered what Darla was going to say next. There was a minute of silence, then Darla threw herself into Michelle's arms. D.J. hugged Debbie, and Stephanie hugged Danielle.  
"We kinda know how you feel," Stephanie said to Danielle. "When we were kids, we lost our mum. She died in an accident, too.  
"How old were you?" Danielle asked, through tears.  
"I was five, D.J. - that's our eldest sister, by the way - she was ten, and Michelle was a baby," said Stephanie. "But you know what? Our dad told us that even though our mum died, we could get through this, because we're a family and we were here for each other. And you can get through this too, you know."  
"Why?" asked Danielle.  
"Because we are a family, related by blood or not," said D.J. empathetically.  
"And we're here for you," reassured Michelle.  
"Thanks, you guys," said Debbie. The six of them shared a group hug.  
Stephanie and Michelle knew that bygones were going to be bygones, and that they could bond with the Donaldsons after all.

THE END 


End file.
